Disney Testing Paid Parking at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

["El Gran Magnifico"]

But the market will bear whatever the market will bear - whether you include it in the room charge or call it something else. If they could get a half billion more in revenue with resort fees and parking fees they could get it just as easily by increasing room rates.

The only reason some hotels call part of the room charge a "resort fee" is to try to mislead customers about the true cost. Hopefully Disney is still above that sort of thing.

I get it. I'm not a fan of it either. This is just the way the travel industry is. Nickel and Dime. Disney may want to keep it transparent and absorb it into the room rate prior to check in rather than charging at check-out. But it will be an itemized item when you pay. It gives them justification to raise room rates.

Again, I'm not a fan of it. But look at reality. When you book a flight, you pay more for the type of seat (what the heck is premium economy anyway?), pay more if you want priority boarding, pay more if you exceed the luggage requirements, pay for internet onboard, pay for entertainment on some domestic flights. Some airlines are now even experimenting with a fee for carry-ons

If you're at a hotel, there's the resort fee, the parking fee, the in-room movie fee, some hotels charge you for the shuttle, on and on.

Heck look at a cruise. Which has always been "marketed" as an all-inclusive vacation. You get charged for certain beverages, pay extra for excursions, pay for photos, and the new fad "premier dinning option" where they'll charge you extra for eating at a specific restaurant. Let's not even get into the extortion of forced gratuities.

Like I said. I get it. I'm with you. I think it stinks...but it is reality.

 

[doctornick]

Perhaps an odd question: if you are staying at a resort at WDW, but go to a different resort, are you "allowed" to park at the other resort? I would assume no, that your included parking is only at the resort you are staying at plus the parks, but am curious what the official rule is.

 

[FigmentForver96]

Ehhh I am ok with this. I hate coming back from the park only to find it slam full

 

[RandomPrincess]

It is easy to validate parking if you do dine at the resort while staying off property. May places around us will validate if you spend a certain amount $20 or more shopping etc in a tourist area with paid parking.

 

[Bairstow]

As someone who has abused resort parking in the past, but more recently had to park surprisingly far away from a Disney resort I was actually staying at, it's going to be very interesting to see how much of a difference this makes.

 

[Chip&Dale]

No one should be able to park at a resort unless they are staying there. If I am paying 400 dollars a night to stay there why should I have to park super far away so someone staying at a value can buck the system and take my space

 

[RandomPrincess]

No one should be able to park at a resort unless they are staying there. If I am paying 400 dollars a night to stay there why should I have to park super far away so someone staying at a value can buck the system and take my space

Then Disney would have to make all the resort restaurants exclusive to those staying there. And people staying on property get free parking at the parks. It's off property people that are trying to skip paying the parking fees.

 

[DisneyFans4Life]

Then Disney would have to make all the resort restaurants exclusive to those staying there. And people staying on property get free parking at the parks. It's off property people that are trying to skip paying the parking fees.

It's also local people who just drive over for the day. One thing they could also do is designate a certain area of the parking lot just for people coming for dinner. It could be a section further away so the people actually staying at that resort get the closer spots.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I'm surprised it took this long to come up with the concept…

Between that and the obscene amount of money they're charging for passes these days, the lots should pretty much be empty.

The days of being able to park at the resorts are long gone. I blame the rise of Disney social media and the life stylers for ruining it for everyone…

 

[Seanual757]

I would like to see how this will work we always eat at the GF or Poly then head over to the MK for a few hours.

 

[ToInfinityAndBeyond]

I'm surprised it took this long to come up with the concept…

Between that and the obscene amount of money they're charging for passes these days, the lots should pretty much be empty.

The days of being able to park at the resorts are long gone. I blame the rise of Disney social media and the life stylers for ruining it for everyone…

Oh, certainly. I was reading a "top ten ways to save money at WDW" blog the other day that straight up told people to park at a resort to avoid paying parking. That kind of thing bothers me.

I'm also surprised so many people mention the trouble parking. We're usually parking in the evening and it's completely dead. When we come back, there are still tons of spaces. Whenever parking is bad (usually at the Poly), they'll turn you away unless you have ADR or are a resort guest.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Oh, certainly. I was reading a "top ten ways to save money at WDW" blog the other day that straight up told people to park at a resort to avoid paying parking. That kind of thing bothers me.

I'm also surprised so many people mention the trouble parking. We're usually parking in the evening and it's completely dead. When we come back, there are still tons of spaces. Whenever parking is bad (usually at the Poly), they'll turn you away unless you have ADR or are a resort guest.

Blog posts like that are the exact reason why things like this are coming…

Jan that? It's never been an issue. The locks and never, ever been full. This is about money. Plain and simple.

 

[aladdin2007]

Then Disney would have to make all the resort restaurants exclusive to those staying there. And people staying on property get free parking at the parks. It's off property people that are trying to skip paying the parking fees.

I feel this is what they are trying to do, another step to keep locals out. Like photodave said its about money plain and simple. The place is almost becoming nearly impossible to enjoy anymore, cant go here cant go there, and I expect the fees to be high as a kite. but will see. Our days of being passholders are just about coming to an end, and thats what they want sadly.

 

[disney4life2008]

I could live with this. I do not drive to the resorts unless I am eating at one of the TS places.

 

[disney4life2008]

I feel this is what they are trying to do, another step to keep locals out. Like photodave said its about money plain and simple. The place is almost becoming nearly impossible to enjoy anymore, cant go here cant go there, and I expect the fees to be high as a kite. but will see. Our days of being passholders are just about coming to an end, and thats what they want sadly.

I would agree here. Because I live here I have been known to leave the parks then head over to All Star Sports or another resort to eat in the foot court. But if I have to pay I will no longer do that. But its not much of a loss, the food court food is overly priced and slowly becoming not good. As long as I can get my chicken breast nuggets and onions in the parks i am fine.

 

[wannabeBelle]

I can see where this would be coming from as well as security issues but there should be some common sense rules used here. For example what if you are local and are going to a lounge in one of the resorts such as POFQ, Riverside, Coronado Springs etc? Why shouldnt you be allowed to patronize these venues? I know I do when I Am visiting and I do drive there. Parking at Boardwalk for Jellyrolls or Atlantic Dance? Same idea. If there is a validation process, that would be fine. I love the idea that Disney resorts never charged a resort fee or a parking fee. The resort charges were very transparent and I liked that about Disney resorts. I have only stayed at one resort in the area that charged a parking fee and resort fee, which I thought was ridiculous. I will not stay at that other resort again, and that is a part of the reason why. Here is to hoping that this new parking fee is tempered with a good dose of common sense. Marie

 

[mouse_luv]

I am all for this idea. It's about time.

 

[Arthur Wellesley]

The only reason some hotels call part of the room charge a "resort fee" is to try to mislead customers about the true cost.

That's a shady practice which should be outlawed, if you ask me. Goes right along with many hotelier's most dirty tricks, including but not limited to:

-Intentionally overbooking.
-"Accidentally" losing guest reservations when it better suits the hotel to get more $$$ off of walk-in's.
-Running coupon specials in travel books & websites despite you having NO chance of getting such a bargain, on any room, any time of year, ever.
-Calling around with competing properties to jack-up / fix the prices for a given region.

 

[Nemo14]

That's a shady practice which should be outlawed, if you ask me. Goes right along with many hotelier's most dirty tricks, including but not limited to:

-Intentionally overbooking.
-"Accidentally" losing guest reservations when it better suits the hotel to get more $$$ off of walk-in's.
-Running coupon specials in travel books & websites despite you having NO chance of getting such a bargain, on any room, any time of year, ever.
-Calling around with competing properties to jack-up / fix the prices for a given region.

 

[wannabeBelle]

I wonder if this practice will start to be looked at similar to how airlines fees were forced to be made more transparent in recent years so consumers could more easily compare the true cost of a flight. it could become an issue for travelers, for sure. Marie